Author Topic: 6th GShAP Il-2  (Read 1514 times)

Offline Greebo

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2009, 05:22:39 PM »
Actually no Krusty. My original panel line and rivet layout was for an all metal Il-2 as that's what the diagram I was using showed. But then I did some research and realised that most of the Il-2s built during the war were of partly wooden construction.

The first production single seat Il-2s were indeed all-metal aircraft. However early in the war, as there was a major shortage of aluminium in the Soviet Union, Il-2s got a wooden rear fuselage. Later on the outer wings were made from wood too. By late 1944 the metal shortage had eased and aircraft with metal wings began to be produced and in spring 1945 some Il-2s were built with metal rear fuselages as well.

Most of the Il-2s that survive today are all-metal aircraft which is why most of the panel line diagrams show this configuration. This in turn is why so many profiles show metal rear fuselages. However metal wings on front line Il-2s were uncommon until well into 1945 and metal rear fuselages were rare until much later.

The photos of this aircraft were taken in January of 1945, they clearly show a wooden rear fuselage but don't show the wing construction. I'm assuming it had a wooden wing, as this is more likely at this time. However I still have the metal wing panel line and rivet layers if I need them.

Offline weazely

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2009, 07:37:40 PM »
This is my first Il-2M3 skin. It is the aircraft of Ivan F Pavlov of the 6th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment. Pavlov flew a total of 248 attack sorties and shot down 4 enemy aircraft eventually rising to the rank of Guards Major. A much decorated pilot, he was twice made a Hero of the Soviet Union.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)





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Offline Motherland

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2009, 07:39:14 PM »
Gorgeous as usual Greebo.
I always love the Soviet practice of using their war-machines as canvases!

Offline Lord ReDhAwK

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2009, 10:47:20 PM »
Very interesting history of the materials used Greebo.  I will definately research mine more fully before starting.  Thnky Sir.

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Offline Krusty

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2009, 04:47:15 PM »
^-- what he said!

Thanks for the rather unusual history.

Offline Greebo

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #20 on: April 08, 2009, 04:49:36 PM »
Not decided yet but I may go with the metal wing after all. As the CO of a Guards unit and a Hero of the Soviet Union Pavlov would have had a good shot of getting the latest equipment. Besides this may be the only one of my Il-2 skins that could have had a metal wing and it would be a shame not to use the panel lines and rivets at all.


Offline lyric1

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #21 on: April 08, 2009, 08:29:42 PM »
A little off topic I know. However if so many of these IL-2's parts are made of wood are the complaints of this plane being to tough to shoot down & it being over modeled correct? Just a thought.

Offline Motherland

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #22 on: April 08, 2009, 09:09:04 PM »
A little off topic I know. However if so many of these IL-2's parts are made of wood are the complaints of this plane being to tough to shoot down & it being over modeled correct? Just a thought.
The Mosquito was tough to shoot down as well, and it was made almost entirely of wood.
The Il2 was notoriously difficult to shoot down. It was called the flying bathtub, the flying tank.... the only weakspots that I've heard of were the tail and the oil cooler. Both of which seem vulnerable in game as well.

Offline Spikes

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #23 on: April 08, 2009, 10:08:28 PM »
That looks amazing Greebo! Nice work as usual.
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Offline Greebo

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #24 on: April 09, 2009, 02:24:02 AM »
The Soviets did a statistical analysis of Il-2 wrecks listing the specific reason for each loss. In a high percentage of cases it was battle damage to the wooden parts that was the cause. That was why they began to switch production back to metal parts from late 44.

Incidentally the Mosquito's wooden construction was quite different to any other wooden aircraft's. The Mosquito had plywood inner and outer skins seperated by a balsa wood layer on the fuselage and stringers on the upper wings. This thick skin took a high percentage of the airframe loads in much the same way as an aluminium stressed skin aircraft. This was a more weight efficient design than the Il-2 and other wooden aircraft, which got much of their strength from the spars, ribs and bulkheads etc, and less from the skin. Since the loads were more evenly distributed through the Mossie's structure, I would guess it would be more able to absorb battle damage too.

Offline Hajo

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Re: 6th GShAP Il-2
« Reply #25 on: April 09, 2009, 06:39:55 AM »
Greebo absolutely beautiful!
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